Accounting and CFO work for owner-led companies
For owners of closely held B2B companies, from about $1 million in annual revenue and a team of four up to established mid-size firms. Based in Summerville, serving businesses across South Carolina [CONFIRM WITH MICHAEL: and in other states?].
We start where the bookkeeping ends.
We don’t do day-to-day bookkeeping or transaction entry. Your bookkeeper or in-house team keeps the books current. We close them, review them, and turn them into financial statements you can use for decisions.
If you need a bookkeeper first, we are glad to say so early, before anyone’s time is spent.
Small business accounting services
Tax advisory
Advice on the tax side of business decisions, such as entity choice, owner compensation, and the timing of large purchases. It is based on current books and given while there is still time to act.
[CONFIRM WITH MICHAEL: does this include preparing returns, and for which entity types and states?]
Managed accounting
We run your month-end close: bank, credit card, and balance sheet reconciliations, accruals and adjusting entries, and a reviewed set of books each month. Your bookkeeper or in-house team keeps the day-to-day entries current.
Financial statement preparation
A balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows, prepared from closed books. For the owners, and for the banks and lenders who ask for them.
Outsourced CFO
Forward-looking work built on closed books, not raw exports: a cash flow forecast, a budget, and a second view on major decisions.
[CONFIRM WITH MICHAEL: are forecasts and budgets part of this work?]
Every engagement is scoped in writing before work begins.
Common questions from business owners
General information only, not legal or tax advice for your business.
What is managed accounting for a small business?
Managed accounting means an outside firm runs part of the accounting function on an ongoing basis. Usually that is the month-end close, account reconciliations, and the financial statements that follow. It can cover the work when a finance role is open, or take it off an owner who has been doing it personally. Who does what is set in the engagement scope.
What is tax advisory?
Tax advisory looks ahead: it weighs the tax effect of business decisions, such as entity structure, the timing of large purchases, or owner compensation, while there is still time to change them. Tax preparation, by contrast, is completing the return for a year that has already ended. Both work best from current, closed books, and the right answer depends on the specific business.
When does a business need an outsourced CFO?
When decisions about cash, hiring, pricing, financing, or growth start to outpace what historical reports can answer. A CFO uses closed numbers to look forward: a cash flow forecast, a budget, and a regular budget-versus-actual review. An outsourced CFO, sometimes called a fractional CFO, gives that view without a full-time executive hire. It works best on top of a reliable monthly close.
What is the difference between financial statement preparation and a compilation?
Neither gives assurance; the accountant does not verify the numbers in either one. In a preparation engagement, the accountant prepares the statements and each page states that no assurance is provided, with no accountant’s report. A compilation adds a written compilation report. Banks and other users sometimes ask for one or the other, so check what yours needs.
Why does a business need monthly financial statements?
Monthly statements show how the business is performing while there is still time to respond. Banks and lenders commonly ask for them, and loan covenants may require them. They also make tax planning possible during the year rather than after it. Statements are only as reliable as the close behind them.
What is a month-end close?
The month-end close is the process of reviewing and finalizing a month’s accounting. Bank and credit card accounts are reconciled, accruals and adjusting entries are recorded, and each balance sheet account is tied to support. Once the month is closed, the financial statements can be relied on. Closing every month keeps year-end from becoming a cleanup project.
Do you provide bookkeeping?
No. We do not do day-to-day bookkeeping or transaction entry. We work with companies whose books are kept by an in-house team or a bookkeeper, and we handle managed accounting, financial statement preparation, outsourced CFO services, and tax advisory.
How do you price your work?
We quote after a short conversation about what your business needs: which services, the size of the company, and how the books are kept today.
[CONFIRM WITH MICHAEL: fixed monthly fee, project quote, or hourly, and anything he wants said about cost]
What size of business do you work with?
Our business clients are owner-led, closely held B2B companies with about $1 million or more in annual revenue and a team of four or more, including established mid-size firms. We are based in Summerville, near Charleston, and serve businesses across South Carolina. If you are not sure whether you fit, the contact form is a good place to ask.
How we start
Step 1: Tell us about the company
Use the short contact form: the industry, the revenue range, the size of the team, and who keeps the books today.
Step 2: A fit conversation
We talk through what you need and where the accounting stands. If a bookkeeper is the better first step, we will say so.
Step 3: Scope and proposal
If it fits, we put the work in writing: what we do, what your team does, and when. Work begins once both sides agree.
Tell us about the company.
The industry, the revenue range, the size of the team, and who keeps the books today.